It is a well-known fact that a large fraction of the population is unfamiliar with the operation or use of modern computer devices. This remains true despite significant advances in user-interface technology--such as mouses, windows, menus and the like. It is commonly said that such technology makes computers "user friendly." However, the modern mouse/window/menu-based user-interface technology has been widely available for several years, and yet it still appears that this technology is not a panacea for computer-phobia. Indeed, studies have shown that a majority of VCR owners cannot operate the simple menu-based interface used to program their VCRs. Thus, there exists a great need for improved user-interface technology, if computer-based electronic media is to become as widely used and accepted as television or radio.
This need for improved user-interface technology will become even greater with the arrival of technology such as the presently planned "information superhighway," which will permit delivery of high-bandwidth (i.e., full-motion video rate) digital data into millions of homes via fiber optic, cable, RF, microwave or satellite links. Such technology will, in concept, permit instant delivery of a virtually limitless selection of commercial, informational, educational and entertainment programming at a user's request. However, without better user-interface technology, the average user may not be capable of enjoying the vast capabilities of such a system. Indeed, it is clear that the number of programming choices available to the user of such technology will be far greater than the number of choices involved in programming a VCR--a task already demonstrated to be too complicated for the average user of present-day user-interface technology.
In contrast to the difficulty many people encounter in using remote controls and other prior art computer interfaces, printed matter--such as books and magazines--represents an almost universally familiar and non-intimidating medium by which a user can acquire desired information. Even illiterate individuals incapable of reading text can nonetheless peruse pages of printed matter and appreciate the substance of flashy advertisements and the like. Thus, it would be highly desirable to provide a system with the information accessing capabilities of a modern CD-ROM or on-line computer system, and the user-interface simplicity of printed matter.
The prior art includes a class of devices known as "talking books"--see, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,636,881 entitled TALKING BOOK WITH AN INFRARED DETECTOR USED TO DETECT PAGE TURNING, 4,702,573 entitled VISUAL AND AUDIBLE ACTIVATED WORK AND METHOD OF FORMING SAME, 4,778,391 entitled SOUND-PRODUCING AMUSEMENT OR EDUCATIONAL DEVICES, 4,809,246 entitled SOUND ILLUSTRATED BOOK HAVING PAGE INDICATOR CIRCUIT, 4,990,092 entitled TALKING BOOK and 5,209,665 entitled INTERACTIVE AUDIO VISUAL WORK, all of which are incorporated herein by reference. Typically, these "talking books" consist of a book with various sensors which--when activated by touching, page turning, etc.--cause a sound generating means (also embedded within the book) to produce or replay particular sounds. Talking books thus provide an interface for allowing an unsophisticated user (i.e., a child) to access a very primitive computer (i.e., the sound generating means embedded within the book) via familiar printed matter (i.e., the book with embedded sensors). Importantly, however, talking books do not provide a means for interfacing with modern electronic media--such as cable television (CATV), home shopping services, on-line computer services, CD-ROM-based multi-media applications, interactive TV or home computer applications.
One approach to interfacing with these modern electronic media is the "simulated book"--see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,855,725, entitled MICROPROCESSOR BASED SIMULATED BOOK, incorporated herein by reference. The "simulated book" is in essence a book-size intelligent graphics terminal. Unlike the talking books, the simulated book is not a self-contained system, but rather transmits commands to and receives data from a CD-ROM equipped personal computer via a wireless link. Thus, the programming that the simulated book can access is not limited to that which can be stored in embedded memory devices, as with the talking books. Importantly, however, the user-interface provided by the simulated book is essentially the conventional computer interface--i.e., keys, pointer, menus, etc. Therefore, a computer-phobic user will likely still find the simulated book intimidating and inaccessible.
A disadvantage of both the talking book and simulated book technologies is that both include relatively costly electronics--i.e., microprocessors, memory, display devices, etc.--as a part of the "book." Thus, these technologies cannot be effectively used to create a "throw-away" interactive magazine, newspaper or advertising brochure.
Thus, there remains a need for a method and apparatus for accessing the vast resources of electronic media using a device as familiar and non-intimidating as printed matter. There remains a further need for such a method and apparatus which utilizes a low cost, throw-away printed matter.